


five times I thought of the sapphires in your eyes

by tinyfingers



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 00:25:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18905740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyfingers/pseuds/tinyfingers
Summary: In another world, where Brienne did not survive the Long Night and Jaime left for Tarth to live among her people, Jaime writes five letters to the sapphire waters.





	five times I thought of the sapphires in your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> AU, of course, and a lot of liberties taken with the idea of Tarth. Let me know what you think.

When he heard there was a ship leaving for the Sapphire Isle, with space for men willing to work for their journey, Jaime knew it was the only thing he could do. There was no home for him to return to, no one to be accountable for. His duty in King’s Landing was complete, his duty to his family honoured.

But she always spoke of home in a distant way, with the hints of regret that he hopes to help her remedy.

It gets quiet, sometimes, on Tarth. With few people he meets and fewer he knows he should trust. So Jaime writes to someone that trusted him.

  1. It has been two moons since I arrived in Tarth, and I caught my first glimpse of your lord father today. You never mentioned that he was taller than you, wench. He seems kind - I saw him give a little boy no more than seven a cloak for the cooler nights. He might have thought me a beggar, without my hand and all, and maybe I’d have gotten a cloak with crescent moons and starbursts when it gets chilly up in the mountains too. I don’t think he saw me. Did you?
  2. It was my first harvest today. The people are happy, we have had a good season, and not many crops have had to be culled. I think we have enough food to last beyond the winter, and ships are sailing for Westeros in a few days with produce to sell. I haven’t decided if I should go with them, maybe see Tyrion and Podrick again. I don’t think the people of King’s Landing will recognise me now, with my beard. I’m planning to ride to one of the beaches on the other side tomorrow, I heard a tavern girl say that it was where the little lord and lady of Tarth used to play. Send me a sign if she was right?
  3. I returned from King’s Landing today. Podrick’s a Ser now, knighted by Ser Davos Seaworth. You would have been so proud of the boy, I saw him fight in a tournament and he moved well. He would have stumbled over his feet if it was six years ago. You trained him well. He wants to join the Kingsguard, but Tyrion’s convinced him that he needs to sire more children before he takes his vows. Not enough good men’s seed in the capital, my brother says. Maybe I should do my duty to them too. Tyrion’s to marry Sansa before winter. The North stands alone, but the Dragon Queen doesn’t want to take any chances. Don’t worry, he will treat her well. He always has. I’ll make sure of it.
  4. I dreamt of you last night. We were travelling North from Winterfell, looking for the Others. You gave me Oathkeeper, told me to keep it safe. I already did that when we left the North, don’t you remember? I told you I didn’t like the North, it’s much too cold for my Southern blood. Tarth is so much warmer, why didn’t you come to me in my dreams here? I’d much rather have a picnic in the mountains than shiver over a fire in the middle of nowhere. But I suppose you get to choose now, not me. I still have Oathkeeper, if you’re wondering, but Widow’s Wail is with Tyrion now. I told him it should go to his child, when his seed takes root. I don’t think it’ll be long now.
  5. I met with your father yesterday. Why did you never tell me that you’d sent him letters about me? I’d have gone to pay my visit to Lord Selwyn much earlier, silly wench. And you never told him you were a knight. He’s offered me the chance to serve in his guard, but I told him I’d have to think about it. He won’t take Oathkeeper, says it’s always been mine. I asked him for your hand, and I was serious - but he had none of it. He brought me to your chambers. I think you’d be happy to know there were no dresses, only two suits of armour your father had made, and a very fine blade. Not quite Oathkeeper, but I think you’d have liked it.



 

He does the same with every envelope - seals it with a plain seal, and draws an ugly lion on the parchment in absence of his seal. He’s not a golden lion anymore, but he’s surely fitting of an ugly lion - _aren’t I, wench?_

He doesn’t understand why she’d ever wanted to leave the Sapphire Isles, with its beautiful waters, peaceful people and lush valleys. But he sends her letters whenever he thinks of her, which is nearly every day, cobbles little rafts together with the fallen branches near his humble hut near his fertile lands. They hold up, most of the time, but Jaime knows it doesn’t matter. _He sees her eyes in the waters anyway._

He hasn’t made up his mind about Lord Selwyn’s offer - although he thought it would be fitting to serve in _her honour_ , to protect _her family_ , to fulfill _her duty_. But he drifts off to sleep, hoping that she’ll help him make up his mind.

_And she does. He dreams of being in Evenfall Hall, with Brienne standing where Lord Selwyn usually was, her eyes gleaming the exact shade of the island’s waters._

_Jaime looks down where she’s beaming at - he sees himself, wearing blue armour like the one he had given her, and Oathkeeper strapped to his hip. He sees himself kneel in front of Brienne, dressed in the tunics and cloaks bearing Tarth’s sigil, withdrawing the Valyrian blade to set it to the ground in front of him._

_“I am yours, my lady. I will shield your back, and give my life for yours, if it comes to that. I swear it by the old gods and the new.”_

_She steps to him, looking into his eyes. “And I vow you shall always have a place in my home, and at my table, and that I shall ask no service of you that might bring you dishonour. I swear it by the old gods and the new.”_

 

**Author's Note:**

> I always thought it'd be fun to have Jaime as a farmer.


End file.
